The Continental Elite Soul Master Academy Tournament was unfolding like a raging wildfire across the Heaven Dou Empire, drawing the eyes of every major power. Yet, far from the roaring crowds and the gilded arenas of the capital, Gu Xuan was wandering deep within the Star Duo Forest with Ye Lingling, meticulously tracking the Pure White Lotus through the subtle traces it had left behind.
Gu Xuan remained cautious; despite his growth, the depths of this forest housed many terrifying soul beasts. Since it was just the two of them out here alone, they moved with extreme care.
As for the Blue Silver Empress's right leg bone, Gu Xuan had no intention of letting Ye Lingling absorb it just yet. He and Ye Lingling would likely participate in the upcoming grand finals, and since Tang Hao would be protecting Tang San, Gu Xuan couldn't risk the old man detecting the bone's aura. For now, the 100,000-year-old soul bone would stay locked away.
He wasn't entirely certain if Tang San would make it to the finals without the boost from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, but the new "Shrek Six Devils" were all at the Soul Ancestor level. If they went all-out in the qualifiers, they would technically be stronger than their original counterparts, who only fielded three Soul Ancestors at this stage. Still, caution was the best policy.
While Gu Xuan hunted for the fifth ring, the tournament in Heaven Dou City was unfolding with several significant departures from the original timeline.
The Shrek Team still managed to defeat the Elephant Armored Team, but they had to deploy Tang San, Dai Mubai, Meng Yiran, and Oscar—four Soul Ancestors—to do it. Only Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing remained in reserve. Tang San estimated they would likely have to reveal their full strength before the qualifiers ended, as the Godwind and Blazing Academies were looking formidable.
Feng Xiaotian, captain of the Godwind Team, was twenty-four years old with a Rank 49 soul power, standing just a step away from the Soul King realm. It was rumored that he also possessed an incredibly powerful self-created soul skill.
Meanwhile, Huo Wu, captain of the Blazing Team, was Rank 45. Rumor had it she was now Feng Xiaotian's girlfriend. The two academies appeared to have some private understandings; as of now, they held the second and third rankings, respectively.
With only five qualifying slots for the Heaven Dou division and the top three already contested, the pressure was mounting for the remaining two spots. The Thunder and Skywater Teams were also looming as fierce competitors. Tang San felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The shift in Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wu's relationship actually traced back to the day Gu Xuan defeated them.
Back then, Gu Xuan had offered Feng Xiaotian some blunt advice: A licking dog eventually ends up with nothing! After hitting a wall with Huo Wu yet again, Feng Xiaotian realized Gu Xuan was right. Though he couldn't stop loving her, he forced himself to stay calm and stopped chasing her for a while.
He focused entirely on his cultivation. His self-created skill had hit a bottleneck at twelve consecutive strikes, so he pivoted to raising his soul power. His Rank 10 innate talent finally showed its true worth. In three years, his rank surged like rising water, reaching the peak of Rank 49.
Once the "Great Licking Dog" stopped appearing, Huo Wu began to feel a sense of loss. After some typical drama where she chased him, and he initially refused her under the guise of "training," Feng Xiaotian realized that playing it cool actually worked. Within a year, they were officially together. This time, he wasn't the submissive follower; he was the partner in control.
Since both were the pride of their respective academies, the two schools grew closer through their relationship. During their time together, they discovered they possessed a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, which accelerated their progress even further. Huo Wu reached Rank 45—two ranks higher than her original self—and the two had been practicing their fusion skill for nearly "two and a half years."
Furthermore, with his heart finally at peace, Feng Xiaotian's self-created skill reached twenty-four consecutive strikes, matching his original debut power but backed by much higher soul power.
Gu Xuan, currently in the forest, had no idea that his casual words had transformed the "King of Licking Dogs" into a protagonist-tier powerhouse with both the girl and the glory. Feng Xiaotian even viewed Gu Xuan as a confidant and friend; without that "heart-to-heart" advice, he wouldn't have achieved this much. His main goal in the tournament now was to defeat Gu Xuan fairly—a promise he made to a vengeful Huo Wu.
The Godwind and Blazing Academies sat firmly at second and third, but they couldn't touch the first-place spot. That position was held by the dark horse: the Seven Treasure Team.
They had debuted with seven Soul Ancestors, even with their captain and vice-captain sitting out. When they faced the Godwind Team, Feng Xiaotian was stunned. Yang Pojun, Ma Bao, and Zhan Yu were all at Rank 47 and 48!
Ning Rongrong, a four-ring Support Type Soul Ancestor at Rank 48, had already mastered the Six Aperture Wishful Heart of the Distraction Control Method. She could simultaneously support the entire team without breaking a sweat. Combined with a Rank 42 Food Type substitute for stamina, even Feng Xiaotian didn't dare to clash with them head-on. Realizing his teammates couldn't match their output, he chose to forfeit to hide his trump cards.
Thus, the Seven Treasure Team secured the top seed of the qualifiers. Emperor Xue Ye and the Platinum Bishop Salas finally confirmed the "dark horse" Ning Fengzhi had boasted about.
While the Emperor was pleased that such a team belonged to Heaven Dou, Salas's expression turned dark. He immediately penned a letter to Spirit Hall, addressed to Bibi Dong herself.
(End of Chapter)
---
This story is already complete on my Support Page! If you want to stay 2 chapters ahead for free, just search for Fallen_Archangel_ on the orange platform.
Your 5-star reviews and Power Stones keep the chapters coming!